Senior Manager, Digital Legal Delivery, New York

The Opportunity

Title : Senior Manager, Digital Legal Delivery, New York

Contract type : Full Time, Exempt

Location(s) : New York; Occasional travel between global offices may be required as the business needs

The Role :

The Senior Manager will fulfil a senior and strategic role delivering legal and legal technology services with client-facing leadership for the firm's Digital Legal Delivery practice in New York.

They will lead the Legal and e-Discovery teams in New York, working closely with members of the Digital Legal Delivery senior management team to maintain a global offering that differentiates HSF from its competitors whilst enhancing the firm's global elite status.

A key focus will be the optimisation of our processes, productivity and profitability for New York Legal Review and eDiscovery, working closely with global counterparts to ensure alignment where necessary

This role will be focussed on clients and service delivery - to include the processes and delivery of legal and eDiscovery work, winning of new work, and expanding opportunities.

The Senior Manager will have responsibility for the management of any issues arising, to ensure the needs of our clients are met to a high standard, reporting on those issues to the senior management team, where applicable.

The Senior Manager will have direct day to day responsibility for the management of the Digital Legal Delivery New York team and will be the most senior Digital Legal Delivery team member "on the ground".

This is a fee earning role and will have a minimum chargeable hours target of 3.5 hours per day.

Key Responsibilities :

Client Service Delivery

• Manage, extend and improve the firm's existing Digital Legal Delivery capability as a highly valued and sizeable revenue earning business for the firm;
• Manage the performance of the Digital Legal Delivery practice in New York and quality of the work, to ensure the best possible standards of service delivery;
• Direct excellent client care and relationship management of internal and, where appropriate, external clients to ensure high levels of satisfaction with the legal services offered by Digital Legal Delivery in New York;
• Drive effective contribution to the firm's overall value proposition and high standards of service delivery to clients, assessed by client survey / research as appropriate; and
• Develop, and keep under review, a plan for resourcing requirements, factoring in global Digital Legal Delivery resourcing capacity, to enable delivery of excellent client service.

Business Development

• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with the Partners and Associates in HSF New York to maximise the opportunity for the firm's clients to benefit from Digital Legal Delivery services;
• Identify and deliver on work winning opportunities and to collaborate with the Associate Directors and Partner for Digital / Disputes on the strategy for business development in the region;
• Develop and maintain the reputation of Digital Legal Delivery, internally and externally, for the delivery of excellent service quality and efficiency; and
• Drive revenue growth while maintaining strong margins, with specific revenue and margin targets to be set on an annual basis by the Digital Legal Delivery Executive.

Leadership

• Provide clear direction to teams ensuring a collaborative approach to achieve the firm's objectives and promote a positive perception of HSF and Digital Legal Delivery to clients and legal teams within the firm;
• Encourage a culture to support the attraction, development, performance and retention of the highest calibre employees;
• Guide, direct and evaluate the work of direct reports, empowering the team to fulfil their obligations across the firm;
• Ensure all members of the team are engaged, motivated and performing effectively with appropriate support;
• Ensure the Digital Legal Delivery New York team enhances the firm's brand in their interactions with instructing teams and clients globally;
• Achieve high levels of employee engagement, evidenced by feedback, within the Digital Legal Delivery New York team;
• Provide inspired leadership to the Digital Legal Delivery New York team for continuous improvement and innovation in the services and products delivered to clients and instructing teams within the firm; and
• Manage change as it impacts the team in a way that minimises operational and client delivery disruption.

Financial management

• Assist Partner and Associate Directors, Digital Legal Delivery in growing the revenue of the Digital Legal Delivery business in line with annual targets;
• Participate in the development and management of annual budgets;
• Ensure the proper administration of financial controls and approvals of costs and pricing to include write offs;
• Identify and manage key profit drivers to include utilisation, pricing, gearing and lock-up and ensure proper administration of financial controls and approvals.
• Assist Partner and Associate Directors, Digital Legal Delivery to ensure delivery against agreed revenue and profitability targets as set annually;
• Design and oversee / approve pricing models and cost estimates, working with the Digital Legal Delivery finance team;
• Work with New York Partners to understand the financial drivers for the Digital Legal Delivery business;
• Ensure global alignment to agreed principles and compliance with financial disciplines; and
• Participate in the development and management of annual budgets when required.

Reporting

Proactive timely and accurate reporting to the Partner and Associate Directors, Digital Legal Delivery, on performance in New York including in respect of :

o Finance / Revenue

o Utilisation

o Resourcing

o People / HR / Team management issues

o Work and Pipeline

o Business Development Opportunities

Risk management

• Ensure the business is aware of potential risks and that appropriate risk assessment is part of the process for taking on new work;
• Comply with risk management obligations and responsibilities in accordance with the requirements for this role as set out on the firm's intranet; and
• Comply with work health and safety (WHS) obligations and responsibilities in accordance with the requirements for this role

Qualifications, skills and experience :

• Experienced qualified lawyer with a strong academic record and a minimum of 8 years PQE.
• Have a track record of successfully leading an eDiscovery and or legal review team.
• An ability to help deliver a high performance culture among a group of diverse, talented, technically excellent individuals will be crucial.
• Be a process-minded individual, demonstrating excellence in client service delivery for both internal legal teams and external clients, including managing the processes and delivery of work.
• Experience of planning and managing complex eDiscovery matters and deep experience with eDiscovery technology (Relativity and Nuix desired), and eDiscovery review "best practice", including the application and analysis of eDiscovery Analytics (TAR, Early Case Assessment, Clustering, Concept searching).
• Excellent understanding of the eDiscovery software market and the legal framework of eDiscovery, existing protocols, practices and relevant legal standards.
• Proven skills in operational business growth and planning, able to spot and develop new business opportunities.
• People management skills in a law firm or commercial legal environment managing team members in and out of region.
• Experience of resourcing, project managing and motivating large teams to tight deadlines.
• High level of attention to detail with the ability to step back and see problems, opportunities and trends.
• Strong creative and analytical ability, coupled with sound judgement to balance multiple factors and solve complex problems.
• Strong IT literacy, including and aptitude for learning (and becoming proficient in) the use of new and innovative software and IT applications.

Competencies :

Personal leadership : Energises those around them, simplifies complexity and makes quality decisions

• Inspires confidence
• Demonstrates expertise
• Exercises sound judgement

Collaborates with others : Develops innovative solutions by valuing diversity of thought, expertise and experience

• Builds authentic relationships
• Harnesses the strengths of others
• Contributes to the success of others

Builds high performing teams : Builds highly engaged teams that are diverse and inclusive, and can excel in a range of situations

• Motivates others
• Maintains the energy of the group
• Builds capability

Focuses on clients : Always acts with the firm's clients in mind

• Understands clients' needs
• Develops commercial solutions
• Promotes the firm brand

Innovates : Leads and influences change

• Builds market knowledge
• Develops the case for change
• Leads change

Achieves results : Makes things happen in a complex environment

• Sets priorities
• Drives for results

Salary : The salary range for this role is $230k to 280k. Final compensation for this role will be determined by various factors such as education, experience, knowledge and skills.

Team

Digital Legal Delivery, NY ALT Level 2

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

New York

Contract type

Permanent Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

At Herbert Smith Freehills you will be part of a diverse, innovative culture where high performance, client focus and highly engaged people are our differentiator.

People at our firm come from a range of backgrounds and bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives to their work with us.

We strive to ensure that our inclusive environment means you feel valued and able to perform at your best by being your authentic self at work.

We know that our future success not only depends on being innovative and progressive in the changing legal market but, most importantly, on our people feeling highly engaged in meaningful work.

We understand that you have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to create a working environment based on mutual trust and respect, in which you can perform at your best whilst maintaining sustainable balance across your life.